The queen is sober in the world, and she is winning every step of the palace fight.

"My lady, if Lord Yu and Madam Yu refuse to acknowledge their relationship, do you need me to plead your case or do something else for you?"

On the way to Chuntangyuan, Xiangyi whispered to Feiwan.

She naturally wanted to help the young lady in everything, but after reflection, she had become more cautious and would not act rashly. She would ask for instructions beforehand and have a set of rules so that she could act accordingly.

"You don't have to do anything. Just be a maid quietly. I don't have to say anything either. The success or failure of this matter is not up to us."

Fei Wan sat in the sedan chair, playing with a weeping willow branch that she had casually picked.

Xiang Yi nodded obediently: "I understand."

Xiao Hui said, "Your Majesty has already ordered Lord Yu to come to the palace for this matter. Does he dare to deny our young master? He's guilty of deceiving the emperor, but as long as Your Majesty doesn't think he's deceiving the emperor, he has nothing to fear. Surely, it would be better for him to follow Your Majesty's wishes and acknowledge our young master."

Fei Wan smiled and said, "What you said is both right and wrong."

The closer they got to Chuntang Courtyard, the more willow trees there were. Their green branches cascaded down to the ground like a waterfall, creating a chilling stillness. Because it was so quiet, a sense of desolation gradually took hold, reminiscent of Yu Tingjin's current situation.

When they were almost there, Fei Wan got out of the sedan chair and walked.

The eunuchs who carried the sedan stayed behind, with only Xiangyi and Xiaohui by their side. Feiwan asked them gently:

"At the birthday banquet, the blood test caused such a big fuss, but His Majesty showed no interest in making a decision for me. A few days later, he's willing to let me become a daughter of the Yu family. Do you know why?"

Xiao Hui pondered and speculated hesitantly, "Because the Empress Dowager and the Queen were present at the birthday banquet, they were afraid that if the young lady acknowledged her relationship, she would be pressured by them and innocently be charged with deceiving the emperor."

Xiang Yi thought more, "I heard there have been memorials criticizing His Majesty for favoring the young lady recently. So His Majesty wants to elevate you. By becoming the daughter of the Minister's Mansion, you can legitimately enjoy the promotion and honor. Then His Majesty can have peace of mind."

Fei Wan casually rolled the willow branch in her hand into a circle, and couldn't help but think of the willow branch crown made by Jasmine in Shanglin Garden. She also thought of the man she met when she was holding the crown, wearing a crimson brocade robe and looking unrestrained and romantic.

There was a hint of smile on his face, and then layers of solemnity and sharpness spread over it.

"What you said makes sense."

"At the birthday banquet, in front of everyone, recognizing a relationship is a minor matter, but deceiving the emperor is a major one. If the Yu family and I couldn't provide strong evidence to refute the claim in such a hurry, we would have been punished on the spot. If I was punished, His Majesty would have lost his favorite concubine, and would have been accused of being incompetent and favoring a seductive concubine, leading to the Empress Dowager's suppression. If Minister Yu was punished, General He of the Northwest would have lost his support in the court, potentially delaying the war. So, no matter what, I couldn't become a daughter of the Yu family at that time."

"But I can hide for a while, not forever. If Commoner Yuan and the Queen can uncover my identity, then others will be able to do so in the future. If this problem is not completely resolved, Minister Yu and I will always be in danger of being accused of deceiving the emperor, and Your Majesty will always be at risk of being known for favoring a seductress and employing sycophants.

If you want to solve it completely, you must either prove that I have nothing to do with the Yu family, or let me truly become a daughter of the Yu family and clear myself of the crime of deceiving the emperor.

But there are Master Huizhen, the monks in the temple, the hunters from that time, the villagers, the old servant of the Yu family, the neighbors of my adoptive parents... so many witnesses. Unless I kill them all, how can I sever my connection with the Yu family?

But if I could recognize the Yu family, it would be much simpler, as long as Minister Yu and I were both willing. Furthermore, the constant criticism within the court that I am favored beyond the proper bounds is truly upsetting to His Majesty. If I were a daughter of an official family, my promotion wouldn't be met with so much controversy."

The two maids listened very carefully, trying hard to digest the young master's teachings.

They knew that the young lady said this not just to explain this matter to them, but to teach them how to look at people and things, so that they could become smarter and more capable.

Xiang Yi was the first to summarize, "So, if the young lady and the Yu family recognize each other, it will not only quell the censors' criticism and prevent the young lady from being wronged, but also provide peace of mind for His Majesty, and Lord Yu will be safe. The war will also be unaffected, and the Queen Mother will have one less excuse to blame His Majesty... It's simply a win-win situation, a huge profit. Your Majesty should of course do this!"

Xiao Hui added, "If the young lady gets along well with the Yu family in the future, this recognition of kinship will be a meritorious deed. Yu Gengyi's status will also be lower than yours. How can an adopted daughter be compared to a real lady? It can be considered that His Majesty has vented your anger!"

Both of them agreed with the emperor's decision this time.

Fei Wan casually threw the willow branch she was tired of playing with into the stream by the roadside. She watched the branch drift away with the current, smiled and shook her head.

He told them, "Actually, these are just superficial reasons. Your Majesty has vast empires and is busy with countless affairs. The status of a concubine is just a trivial matter to him. Even if the court officials criticize him or the Queen Mother accuses him, he has enough confidence to resist. Even if the war in the northwest is damaged? If so, he can just replace the general. In this matter, General He and Minister Yu are more afraid and care more about it than he is."

Xiaohui and Xiangyi listened in a daze.

In this case, does that mean that all the guesses just now are no longer true?

"Then...my lady, why do you think His Majesty wants to help you recognize your relatives?" Xiang Yi frowned and thought.

It can't be that Your Majesty made the promise on a whim and was coaxed into doing so by the young lady?

"For his own sake." Fei Wan smiled at the two maids.

And quietly, let them know about the military achievements in the northwest that Concubine Qing had told them.

"A great victory on the battlefield, avenging the previous humiliation, will be celebrated by the court and the people throughout the country. The commander will naturally be promoted, and Lord Yu, who recommended and assisted, is also a true hero. It would be unreasonable not to reward him. However, the monarch always uses meritorious officials while keeping them under guard. I can reward you, but you must not be arrogant, and you must not become complacent and disobey orders in the future."

"As for me, my relationship with the Yu family, and even Yu Tingjin's existence, her concealment of my identity, and her abuse of me, can all be used by His Majesty to manipulate Lord Yu. At the very least, I'm accused of failing to educate my daughter properly, disrupting the palace, and disrespecting the Emperor. At the worst, I'm accused of harboring ulterior motives, deceiving the Emperor, and harboring rebellious and disloyal intentions."

"As long as the Yu family recognizes me, no matter what position I am promoted to in the future, no matter what merits Lord Yu has, the days when my unclear status in the palace is like a sword hanging over Lord Yu's head, which may strike down at any time and pierce him to the core."

"This is the way the emperor controls people."

"The dark mind of the emperor."

Xiangyi Xiaohui looked solemn and shocked.

After a while, Xiao Hui stammered, "My lady, how about... how about we go back? Can we not recognize this relationship..."

If His Majesty wants to deal with Lord Yu one day, wouldn’t the young lady also be implicated? It would be really dangerous.

Wouldn't it be nice to just be a favorite concubine as a palace maid?